


Fine Line Between

by Wix



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Concerning Jumps of Logic, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mind Manipulation, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, One-Sided Attraction, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-27 10:23:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21390589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wix/pseuds/Wix
Summary: Steve's world has always been black and white. He doesn't know what to do living now in a world made of shades of gray.
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 168
Kudos: 2288
Collections: Best Team Iron Man, EGFixIts, Fics I Don't Want To Lose





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is by far one of the more frustrating Steve's that I've written and who I wanted to punch as I typed. You have been warned! 
> 
> I know that I didn't want to do another story that required multiple chapters, but for some reason this had to come out and so here it is. Please don't reference other unfinished projects in the comments. Trust me, I am well aware of them.
> 
> (Tag Clarification: Implied/Referenced Abuse refers to emotional manipulation as well as Wanda's mind whammies.)

There have been times when he’s hated him. 

It was such an odd experience, to have such a powerful emotion dug into his chest against something that he’d never actually met in person before; but that didn’t change the truth of it. There was once a time that Steve hated Tony Stark with almost every fiber of his being. Just the mere mention of the brunet could immediately pull a dark raincloud over the best of days and set his jaw clenching in frustration at the knowledge that the brunet even existed. 

Sarah Rogers used to tell him that hating anyone was a useless endeavor. She’d hold him close after his dad had either passed out or had gone back out to another bar, heedless or careless of the chaos and pain left in his wake, and she’d tell him to never give into that emotion. That to hate someone was to give them power over you, and that doing so hurt the heart of the big man upstairs who had forgiven all. He’d tried to listen to her, tried to emulate her as he grew up, even after both her and his father were long gone. He made sure that he never held hate in his heart for his drunk father, or for the bullies that preyed on the weak and the hurting. He didn’t even hate the Nazi’s who killed Erskine or even Zola who took Bucky from him. Not even the Red Skull whose crazy designs for the world had to be stopped at all costs. 

All of those people had made it so easy for them to hate them, and yet Steve never did. 

But he had _hated_ Tony Stark. 

When he’d first been woken up, after the plane crash and after SHIELD had revealed the truth of his situation to him; he’d been given a dossier on certain people that Fury hoped that he might one day pull together in order to protect and serve the earth. There were files on a Doctor Bruce Banner, a man who experienced a tragic lab accident attempting to recreate Steve’s own powers and now shares his body with a giant green rage monster. A natural Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There were a few files on SHIELD agents, well trained spies and soldiers who were willing to use their skills for the greater good. Steve can respect that. He can understand losing one’s way or starting out in a bad place, but it’s all about what you do with it once you learn you’re in the wrong and people like Natasha Romanov have his respect on that point. 

But Howard Stark’s son? Steve balked at the idea that Fury could ever think that man could be an ally. It was clear as day that he wasn’t an ally to anyone but himself and his own ego. Each page of his file is just another self-serving tale of a man who has given himself to excess and who seems to think himself a god amongst men. Twenty-five and holding more power than any man should and refusing to do the right thing with it and hand it over to those who know better than him and who were willing to use it to better the world, not just themselves and their own vanity. 

_ ‘I am Iron Man’ _

That clip was the  pièce de résistance  to the entire story. It replayed in Steve’s mind over and over again, even when he wasn’t watching it and Steve just couldn’t wrap his mind around the level of arrogance and self-importance that must have been running through the brunet’s veins in order to allow such a display to occur. It proved to Steve beyond a shadow of a doubt that Stark is only in this for the accolades and the praise as well as the feeling of playing hero. Steve knew that Stark would never stick it out. Once he got bored, or it just got too difficult, he’d move on. All that promise and all that potential, all wasted on an arrogant man-child. It made Steve sick to even think about it. This was someone who had the world handed to them time and time again, and who decided at some point to believe that it was his _right_ to have it. Regardless of the repercussions or the damage to everyone else. 

Meeting Tony Stark in the flesh had been all the proof that Steve had needed of his hatred. The man filled up a room, stifling it with his presence and Steve often felt like there was no air in the room that wasn’t tainted by the other’s presence. Sometimes he’d have to leave just to breathe. He says some inappropriate things later, true things but still things he shouldn’t have said and Stark proves that he doesn’t give a damn about anyone else as he spits on everything Steve has ever accomplished, liking it to just being a science experiment. 

New York’s battle comes and goes, and Steve shakes the hand of the man who lived yet again despite impossible odds and he’s never been more grateful to get out into the open road. It seems though that no matter how hard Steve tries, he can’t avoid the brunet billionaire. _Billionaire_, a word that just boggles Steve’s mind. He can’t even fathom having that much money and he certainly can’t fathom someone just hording it and wasting it while millions of people around the world suffer. Tony Stark could change the world and yet all he does with his free time is go to parties and have people suck up to him left and right. The world those seems obsessed with Tony Stark though. Everywhere he goes there’s some sort of news station piece on him or how every single tabloid has him splashed on the cover. _Iron Man’s New Love Interest? _or _Iron Man Makes a Wish Come True!_ and that one with the image of Tony Stark half in the armor posing next to a sick child in the hospital. Using that kid for publicity? That’s just a new level of low that Steve can’t get his mind around. He almost wanted to buy that one just so he could rip it up. 

Eventually though, he learns to tolerate Tony Stark. The man’s fast actions after the fall of SHIELD at least gave some points to be given to him. He’d always claimed that he was never a friend of SHIELD, but it’s nice to actually see that he can use his power for good when the situation demands it as he rushes around the world, shuttling SHIELD agents from behind enemy borders and navigating whole rooms of reporters and politicians for them. 

Moving into the Tower wasn’t something that Steve wanted to do originally, but Natasha convinced him of the necessity. Bucky was out there somewhere, possibly brainwashed and the only person who had the clout and the funds to bring him home was sitting in a tower and doing nothing. Steve almost wanted to just come out and ask him for his aid but the information about Howard’s murder really closes that door rather firmly. Stark’s shown himself to be many things, but reasonable or rational isn’t one of them. So he makes nice, plays the role that Nat coaches him on. It’s easy to do, to be Tony Stark’s friend. Stark makes it almost easy, constantly flitting about with this kind of nervous energy – Steve thinks the coffee needs to be switched to decaf – and throwing money and gifts at the group of them staying in the tower like it’s Christmas every day. 

Potts and Hogan hate them. Steve can see it with how they practically sneer or glare at them each time they’re in the same room but they never seem to tell Stark this. Or if they do, they never do it in the Avengers presence. Rhodes hides it better, behind a veneer of comradery that Steve can see how it might have gotten him as high up in the ranks as he’s gotten. His flag is firmly planted in Stark’s camp though, of that Steve never doubts. He has Natasha, Clint, Bruce and Thor – Stark has Potts, Hogan and Rhodes. It’s not hard to see that there’s obviously a divide here, but Stark – not an Avenger but a consultant – acts as though there are no barriers. Steve figures it’s his way of dealing with being told no for the first time in his life, by pretending that no doesn’t exist and that he really is an Avenger despite all the facts to the contrary. 

Eventually though, something strange happens. Tolerance becomes something else. Somewhere between the late night ‘Stark Babysitting in the Lab’ duties and the missions chasing Hydra across the world Steve ends up seeing a side of the brunet that he doubts many sees. He sees him laughing and joking with his machines as if they were truly real people. He sees how the JARVIS machine has to pry him out of the suit sometimes, bleeding and half conscious and yet Stark will turn around and climb right back in when they tell him to like a good soldier. It happens between the loud music and the caffeine addictions and the parties and events and the late night movie marathons – at some point Steve sits across from Stark when he’s dozed off on the couch during one of their movies and the bottom of his stomach drops out as he realizes that he has _feelings_ for this man. 

That was never part of the plan. 

But just as Stark made it easy to hate him, he makes it just as easy to love him. Loving him though feels like a betrayal to everything that Steve is. To everything that Steve stands for. To Peggy and to Howard and to Bucky and to Erskine who saw the good in him and who would have never seen anything like that in the Iron Man pilot. But Steve can’t deny that Tony’s a force of nature, both on the field and off of it and Steve feels himself pulled in like a magnet despite his attempts at avoiding it. 

Pepper knows. It’s obvious in how she leaves Steve out of almost everything, or how he’ll be the absolute last person she addresses or invites. Steve gets it. Stark’s her money ticket. He’s known many good women settle in order to live comfortable lives off the wealth of a man they’re able to ensnare. And Stark’s a fickle thing. How Pott’s has managed to keep his eyes and his hands off other women is an impressive feat in itself, but Steve doesn’t doubt that if he showed even the slightest of interest in the brunet’s way that Stark ever caught onto that Stark would come like a moth to flame. Steve’s seen the stories; he knows Stark’s reputation. A man like that doesn’t change. 

Steve slides back into hatred for a while after that. A strange thing that seems to be born from the fact that he has these feelings for Stark and yet those feelings make Steve feel guilty when Stark gives him any aid for Bucky. Steve doesn’t feel like he should feel guilty and a part of him blames Stark for making him feel this way. 

Ultron is a gift in its own way. The robot AI from the Scepter creates a feeling of responsibility in Stark and a rift that allows Steve to touch on any time Tony starts asking too many questions about the search for the Winter Soldier. Wanda’s arrival helps with that too, although those times make Steve feel a little guilty, but she stokes the flames and she looks at Steve at the end of the day with a big smile as though she’s done a good thing and Steve smiles at her even as he sees the tremble in Tony’s hands and the growing darkness in his eyes. 

Bucky comes first though, as it should be. Once they find him, and once they fix him then Steve can focus on Tony. But right now he needs this, so he smiles at Wanda and turns away from Stark. 

He should have known better. Natasha had warned him that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ was a dangerous thought process wherein Stark was concerned. She had told him that he needed to call Tony more frequently and make plans even if he didn’t intend to keep them – she actually argued that missing those plans or showing Tony that something else was more important was actually beneficial to keeping Tony interested – or else there would be consequences. That he needed to keep a hand firmly on the wheel or Tony would take back over and that would be it. He wouldn’t give up the reigns a second time. 

Steve didn’t listen and the Accords come around the corner and then Tony didn’t listen. He didn’t listen _at all_, and the damage that he caused to them all was catastrophic. Locking up Steve and Sam for helping Bucky? Attacking them at the airport and injuring Rhodes and Sam? Locking up the team he captured in the RAFT? And then having the nerve to turn on Steve in Siberia and attack Bucky? For a moment, Steve considers bringing the shield down on Tony’s neck and ending it there once and for all for the sake of the world and the Avengers – but he makes the mistake of looking into those brown eyes and he remembers Tony and the bots in the labs, and Tony’s laugh and he hates himself as he shifts it and brings it down on the ARC. He can’t kill someone he loves, and he hates Tony again for that. 

Walking away from him is easy, but trying to come back is almost impossible. Stark seems determined to turn the world against them, hiding out in the Compound for weeks and stoking the fears of the public. Pretending that the damage done to him was so much more than what actually occurred. Sending back the ashes of Steve’s letter mixed up with broken shards of the phone in a package to Wakanda. 

The world goes on to call it the Avengers ‘Civil War’ but Steve knows it’s just taking a biased stance towards their favorite. Steve and the team call it ‘Stark’s Mess’ and Steve knows they’re much closer to the heart of it all. 

Eventually, he stands on the balcony of their apartments in Wakanda, looking out over the city with the notice of a full pardon in his hand and he lets out a sigh. 

It’s time to go home. He wonders how the story will play out from here. 

He guesses he’ll find out soon enough. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the end! Thank you for your amazing reviews and I can't wait to see your parting thoughts!

Seeing Tony when they step off the plane is like a starving man seeing a twelve-course meal. The feeling hits Steve so hard and so abruptly, that he almost stumbles in his haste to get off of the ramp and closer to the Iron Man pilot. 

Tony’s dressed in his ‘battle gear’, that’s what he always called a perfectly fitted suit with all of the trims. It makes Steve a little amused to see it. They’re past the battle now, the battle’s been won and its finally time for everyone to come home. Nat makes a beeline for Tony with a big, friendly smile on her face and she opens her arms a little to embrace him only to be blocked by Rhodes in his chair. Steve doesn’t miss how Tony takes an immediate step backwards too, a frown etched on his face for a few seconds before it smooths away. 

“Tony?” Nat asks, looking at him and Tony tugs on his cufflinks but makes no move to set Rhodes straight. 

“What, too good for hugs now Stark?” Clint asks and Tony gives him a look that Steve’s never seen him give one of them before. Sure, he’s seen it given to people like that Justin Hammer guy, but to give the look like Clint is just an annoying fly buzzing around the area and Tony’s debating whether or not he should go get a fly swatter or just ignore it. 

“I make a point in not letting people who have stabbed me in the back already to get close enough to do it again.” Tony says and Steve feels a sick feeling settle in his stomach. Tony’s going to be difficult. He’s going to draw out this whole affair even though it’s clear that it’s all over. There’s no need for this and yet, here’s Tony being Tony. 

“I never ‘stabbed you in the back’ Tony.” Natasha says with an immediate frown and she crosses her arms. “I did what I thought I had to do. It was the right thing and you know it.” 

“I don’t in fact ‘know that’.” Tony says. “I’d argue that it was a stupid thing to do and that you betrayed not only me, but the Avengers Initiative and everything it stands for.” He glances at the rest of them. “But then again, you’re in good company with that.” Clint and Wanda go to say something, but Steve quickly holds up a hand to keep them from firing back. 

“I know you want to start a fight Tony, but we don’t. We just want to come home.” Steve says, and if he was surprised by the look that Tony gave Clint, then he’s completely caught off guard by the look that Tony throws in his direction. 

Tony looks at him like he’s _nothing_. Not even worthless, just completely nothing. It throws him back to the time pre-serum, the kid with the health issues that everyone ignored and overlooked. Steve knows that look personally and it’s been so long since someone’s looked at him with it and yet Tony somehow manages to use it like a weapon. It knocks all of the air out of Steve’s lungs and it embarrasses Steve at how well it still affects him. 

“There is no ‘home’ here for you, Rogers.” Tony says and his voice is like ice. “You’re not returning to the Compound. I don’t even know why you’re here but I intend to find out.” 

“What do you mean?” Sam tries to ask him but Tony attention goes immediately behind him to the Wakandan king who steps off of the plane. 

“Is there a reason that you’ve landed at this location your majesty?” Tony asks and even how he says T’Challa’s title sounds like a thinly veiled insult. “You have no authority to land here, you’re lucky that I chose not to cause an international incident by shooting you down from the sky like I was well within my right to do.” 

“The Avengers have been given leave to return.” T’Challa tells Tony and Tony smiles at him and the smile has barbs. 

“Yes, but not to any Stark property. In fact, they’re actively banned from _all_ Stark properties from now until the foreseeable future.” 

“What?” A few people ask around them and Tony doesn’t deign to look at them as he speaks. 

“I recommend that you vacate the premises post haste. I’ve already alerted the local police force to your unannounced arrival and subsequent trespassing.” 

“The Council will not allow-” T’Challa starts to say and Tony cuts him off. 

“The Council has no power or authority over my personal property, your majesty.” He looks the other man in the eye. “So I recommend that you get back in that plane in the next five minutes and take off or I will have it turned into scrap metal.” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” 

“Try me.” Tony retorts and T’Challa must see something because he straightens his shoulders and throws a dismissive look at the brunet. 

“I had figured you were a better man than your father Mr. Stark. I am not pleased to find out that I was wrong.” 

“And I figured that the apple wouldn’t have fallen far from the tree but you’ve shown that to be a mistaken belief as well.” Tony retorts immediately and T’Challa levels a glare on him that bounces right off before he gets into the plane and leaves them there. Tony glances back at Natasha. “Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be scurrying off back into whatever roach hole you crawled out of?” 

“Tony, you had your fun.” Nat says with that exhausted tone that she usually gets when Tony’s being a rather obstinate child. “We’re tired, we just got off the plane. We just want to go to our rooms, maybe take a shower and get some rest? Then afterwards you can grandstand to your hearts content.” 

“Have fun with that. Go do that, but not here.” Tony says. “There are no rooms here for you Ms. Romanov, I know you’re not hard of hearing, and I doubt that ‘trespassing’ is a charge you want on your records ten minutes back in the country.” 

“We’ve been pardoned Tony.” Steve points out and Tony snorts. 

“That doesn’t mean ‘get out of jail free card’ for everything. It just means people can’t touch you for the specifics of the pardon. If you get arrested because of say – well let’s say ‘trespassing’ – then it’s gonna stick. I’m going to make _sure_ it sticks.” Tony tilts his head a little like he can hear something. “That sounds like sirens now, you might want to start trekking it. The property line is a little far out there.” 

“Tony that’s enough.” Nat tries to say and Tony looks at his watch. 

“Tick tock.” He replies. 

“The media would eat you alive for being so pointlessly petty.” Nat points out and Tony snorts and shrugs. 

“Maybe. But they tend to chew me up and spit me out everyday for everything under the sun so I think I’ll be just fine.” He says before his voice turns cold again. “Now get the fuck out and never come back.” 

“This is the Avengers Compound.” 

“This is a Stark Compound.” Tony replies. “And as such, I make the rules and I’m done letting you dictate to me what they should be.” 

“Tony I know that you’re angry.” Nat says, her voice turning soft and understanding. “But this isn’t the way you want to play this and you know it.” Tony stares at her before he looks at Rhodes. 

“Didn’t I _just_ get done telling them that they don’t get to dictate to me what the rules are?” 

“Yup.” Rhodes says with a nod and a smile. He looks like he’s enjoying this too much. 

That smile stays on the whole time that they’re arrested. 

+++

The charges ‘stick’, if by sticking that means that Steve has to make a formal apology on air to Tony and agree to stay away from all Stark properties for the foreseeable future. Him and the rest of his team. The words taste like acid in his mouth but he swallows down his pride – something Tony’s never been able to do – and he says them just to start the process. 

Nat told him that this is all a game to Tony. She knows him best and this is his pattern. She tells him that embarrassing himself and ‘lowering himself’ to the level that Tony wants him to go to will please Tony and will open the door for reconciliation. 

It’s only the promise of that which makes Steve not crumple the notecards in his hands as the reporters stick the cameras in his face. As odd as it is though, Tony doesn’t reach out after Steve’s public shaming. He doesn’t respond to any of Steve’s texts or emails either and all of Steve’s written letters keep getting returned by the post office. That makes things difficult as Steve realizes that they never really had a plan for food and housing outside of Tony. They’re lucky enough that Sam still has his house, but the place feels increasingly tiny every day. 

Nat tells him that the funds will eventually dry up, as ‘superhero’ isn’t really a viable business venture without a backer and Fury can’t afford to back them anymore and Tony’s not paying the bill either. They’ll all have to find work of some sort, something that can make it to where they’re not all living on slowly draining accounts and in a house not meant for this many people. Clint has returned from the farm, apparently Laura kicked him out after he tried to return and Steve feels for him and tells him that she just needs some time to cool down and to be able to think about it rationally. Clint doesn’t respond to him when he says it. 

The whole event with Wanda’s citizenship is a kick in the teeth that they weren’t prepared for. There’s fine print on the pardons and while the government isn’t going to arrest her for actions taken on American soil – of which the Scarlet Witch has the smallest number of casualties unlike in Johannesburg or Sokovia – that doesn’t mean that they’re granting citizenship and they give her twenty four hours to leave the country, they’re kind enough to offer a plane ticket, and the Accord’s staff doesn’t step in, claiming that citizenship is outside of their purview. They don’t respond well when Clint snaps at them about ‘what good are they?’ either. 

Nat offers to go with her, stating that she has a few favors she can call in for work while she’s out there. She does leave the unfortunate task of talking with Tony about all of this to Steve. Which seems like an insurmountable task since the brunet has ignored him this entire time, but if there’s anything good to be said about the media’s fascination with Tony Stark it’s that it can always tell him where he’s going to be at big events, and Steve’s lucky enough that Fury steps in and gets him a ticket with a growl of ‘fix this Rogers’ when he hands it over. 

As strange as it is, Steve realizes that he’s never actually gone to one of Tony’s events. In the beginning he hadn’t wanted to watch everyone kiss up to the brunet and later on he couldn’t stand the thought of Tony practically whoring himself out to the masses and acting shamelessly like Steve’s heard stories of. The Tony of the event though isn’t someone Steve feels he knows. He’s never seen this side of Tony before and he resents the other a little for it. Instead of taking up all of the space and the limelight, Tony seems content to just be beside Potts and letting her take the lead in all of the questions regarding future Stark Industries projects, only stepping in when asked about R&D department or Avengers questions. The two of them look like an old-fashioned movie power couple and Steve can’t help but wonder how much things would have changed if Tony had shown even one tenth that deference to the Avengers. Maybe the Civil War wouldn’t have happened. Maybe none of the bad things would have. 

Tony breaks off from Pepper’s side, giving her a small kiss on the cheek before he leaves to go talk to another expensively dressed man. They shake hands and Tony shakes the hand of the Asian woman that he’s with before he motions for them to go off to a quiet spot. It’s not hard to see that Tony’s working the two of them over, he’s got his ‘selling game face’ on and it’s clear the other man is buying it hook, line and sinker if all of his nodding is anything to go by. He watches as the man pulls out a pen before writing on a napkin and then placing the napkin down on the balcony for Tony to pick up. The move surprises Steve a little and makes Steve wonder who this blonde is and how well Tony knows him. Tony smiles at it, putting it in his pocket before he shakes both of their hands and the group departs from their little meeting and rejoins the rest of the party. 

Or at least the other two do, because Steve manages to reach out and catch Tony by the arm, tugging him into the hallway and Tony looks at him like he’s insane. 

“Romanov, Hill or Coulson?” He asks and Steve frowns. 

“Coulson’s dead.” He reminds Tony and Tony snorts. 

“Surprise, not dead. So you have no clue so Fury gave the ticket to you. Is anyone else here that I need to worry about?” 

“Worry? We’re your team Tony.” 

“You’re _not_ my team.” Tony hisses out and there’s rage there that catches Steve off guard. “You’re not _anything_ to me but a bad memory.” 

“We’re more than that.” 

“Nope.” Tony says with a shake of his head. “You’re really not.” 

“Tony please. I just wanted to talk to you. To clear the air.” 

“Oh the air is about as polluted as it can ever get between us.” Tony retorts. “I’m not interested in a heart to heart Rogers because frankly I’m not sure you have one and the last time we had any meaningful conversation you went directly for mine.” 

“I was just trying to stop you.” 

“You did that.” Tony says. “And for the next five hours I laid there wondering why I didn’t just kill you.” 

“Like you could have.” 

“Keep telling yourself that.” Tony fires back and Steve almost slips and tells Tony how easily he could have ended it too, how he almost did, but he doesn’t think that’ll help the conversation so he lets Tony keep imagining himself as the possible victor of a fight between the two of them. “Now there is no reason for us to be talking. If Fury purchased a ticket then I’m not going to throw you out. This isn’t exactly a Stark hosted event so you’re not breaking any agreements by being here – bravo, not that I think you paid enough attention to reality to know that.” 

“Tony please.” Steve cuts him off. “I don’t want to talk about any of that.” 

“Then what do you want to talk about?” 

“We want to come home Tony.” 

“There’s no ‘home’ for you to come back to.” 

“You know what I mean.” Steve says and Tony rolls his eyes. 

“I know that you’re not stepping foot back in the Compound and that very soon I might not have to deal with you at all since your talks with the Council are stalling. These at the things that I _know_. What I don’t know is why you’re here and what you intend to try to attempt to force your way back in.” 

“I don’t want to force anything Tony.” 

“Then go away.” 

“I can’t do that.” _I love you, you infuriating moron_ is what Steve thinks but doesn’t say. Tony clearly doesn’t read the words on his face, probably because he seems content to look anywhere but Steve. 

“You better learn.” 

“We’re Avengers Tony. We’re going to have to fight alongside each other soon.” He points out and Tony sighs. 

“Probably.” Tony says with a shrug. “But I’m working on that.” 

“You’re ‘working on that’?” Steve repeats. “What does that mean? Are you seriously going to start another war?” 

“War?” Tony says and he laughs softly and somehow the sound is a mockingly cruel thing. “You call _that_ war? I would have figured you’d know better. No Rogers, that wasn’t a war. That was something else entirely. But to answer your question, no. I’m not going to do _anything_ to you. I don’t have to. You’re doing it all yourselves.” 

“We’re not doing anything.” 

“Exactly.” Tony says and that doesn’t make any sense. “As for the ‘Avengers’. Right now there’s only us, but soon? Soon that won’t be true. We’ll have dozens, maybe hundreds of people ready and willing to be called upon if something like New York happens again.” Tony looks at him. “And with those numbers, I don’t see us interacting much.” 

“You’re never going to be able to get away from us.” 

“That sounds creepy and ominous.” 

“That’s not what I meant.” 

“Of course it isn’t.” Tony retorts. “I don’t really care what you meant anymore. I care about what you do and what you’ve _done_.” He finally looks at Steve and those eyes aren’t the ones from Siberia which were so full of rage but also so much pain and disbelief. These ones are just cold. “I don’t need to do anything to you Rogers. You’ve always misunderstood your place in the world. You think you’re a giant walking amongst men when in all actuality you’re just a walking steroid commercial.” Steve’s fists clench as Tony takes a step back from him and straightens the sleeve that Steve had grabbed. Like he doesn’t even want the wrinkles to linger least that remind him that Steve put them there. “I’m going to make the Avengers so much more than anything you ever dreamed. I’m going to drag us out of the past where you’ve wanted to suffocate us and bring us to the future where we can actually stand for the world instead of just those who side with you.” 

“That’s not what I did.” 

“Sure you didn’t.” Tony says with a mocking nod. “Just wait Rogers. When I’m done, no one is going to give a damn about ‘Captain America’ or any of you. They’re going to look at the large group and you’re going to be invisible inside of it. Powerless in the grand scheme of things and useless to the future of the Avengers, but at least you’ll be good at punching things.” Tony turns around and walks away, throwing a peace sign over his shoulder as he goes. “Here’s to the future Rogers.” Are the last words he ever says directly to him. 

And in the end Tony keeps his word, the Avengers grow and grow and the world cares less and less about the original team…and Steve hates him for it. 

**Author's Note:**

> No comments of a critiquing or negative nature. Thank you for your understanding.


End file.
